Auto-license-indicating device



II. A. KLEINE. AUTO LICENSE INDICATING DEVICE.v

APPLICATION FILED o'cT. 2. |920.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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HARRY A. KLEINE, E JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY.

AU'ro-LIcENsE-INEICTINQ DEVICE.:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A.. KLEINE,` a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City Heights, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Auto- License-Indicating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to the type of auto-license indicating devices disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,342,850, issued to me June 8, 1920, and designed primarily not only to render visible thellicense number of an automobile after dark, but also for indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle at night,-my main objects in this case be ino to also afford means whereby more space b is attained for V,the display ot the license number by positioning the danger light opening or window above the latter instead of on `the license number plate itself; `and also to afford means whereby the direction of travel of the vehicle. may bejindicated visually in the day light as well as atnight by practically the Vsame operative parts, as hereinafter more `fully set forth.

To this endmy present invention consists essentially inthe specific construction and arrangement of parts herein described and claimed,clistinc tive Jfeatures being the `utilization of the shutter lactuatingmechanism for theourpose of displaying automatically retracta le direction arrows as required,and the positioning` of `the danger light opening centrally `above the license plate instead of having it form a part thereof asin my aforesaid Letters Patent, whereby I amienabled `to `add materially to the numbering capacity of the license plate `(so as `to meet present and expected requirements) `without adding to the lengtho said plate, all `as presently described in detail.

`In the accompanying drawings, A f Figure l, is a `rear view oa portionloi an automobile, showing face `elevation of my improved indicatingdevice;

` Fig. 2, isa top view ofthe latter. the casing being partly broken away; y

Fig. 3,is va face view `of the casing, with the license plate, etc., omitted; Fig. 4, is a sectiont `lien upon plane of line H, Fig. `3, only with the shutter drawn back; t

Fig. 5, is a sectional detail upon `a larger scale, "Showing the normal position of the ciling, etc.

-positive means,

Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Mar, 22 192L Application filed Qctober 2, 1920. Serial No. 414,304.`

its attached direction arrow exposed to view.

In order to visualize the license number,

etc., after dark, I provide, as in my aforesaid Letters Patent, av stenciled license plate L, and mount it onthe front part of a casing C, containing an electric lamp c, or other illuminating means,as may be found most expedient. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawlngsythe incandescent lamp e, is

`presumably connected with an electric battery, or other source of electricity, suitably positioned on the vehicle.

The stenciled plate L, is preferably made of metal, and V is removable from the casing C, being slidably mounted in a groove c, formed ior its reception in the front of the casing C5. The partly colored transparent back plate T, is also removably mounted; in said groove c, contacting with the back of `the licenseplate L, and conforming in shape thereto.

Inaddition to the stenciled license number, the license plate L, is formed with the two pointer openings p, p', preferably of arrow shape as shown, or lof any other shape or coniiguration desired provided they indicate opposite lateral `directions as related to `the direct,` normal, line of travel of the car.

` rFliese two `lateral direction indicators p, pf

are covered and closed at the rear of the license plate L,'by colored. (red) portionsof thetransparent back plate T, as in the arrangement shown in said Letters Patent, the

rest of the-said back plate'T, being preferably colorless, `so as `to transmit the light unaltered `through the license `number sten-l Ihe red danger light or window d, hasno curtain or shutter, and admits the transmission of light Jfrom the lamp e, continuously, as do thestencilings for the license number, etc.; but thepointer spaces p, p', are covered normally by automatically closing shutters s, s', 'which `are withdrawntherefrom by as may be required at night, to indicate any intended change" in the direcof the vehicle, Vthe pointer p, is 'uncovered,-the shutter of the right p, being closed.

It is obvious that various forms of shutters may be used in connection with the direction indicators without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention in this respect,-the essential features in this connection being the automatic closing of the shutter and positive means for retracting same when required.l Thus in the drawings I show each shutter s, s, pivotallysupported at its lower Aedge between lugs c', c', with hand pointer :springs c2, c2, so positioned as to tend constantly to press the shutters s, s', against the' inner side of the transparent plate T, thereby normally closing the pointer stencils p, p', against the Vtransmission of light. To the upper edge of each shutter s, s, is ar- -ticularly connected a link a, a, which extends through the casing C, and through a perforation c3, c3, formed for it in the back plate of said casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These links a, a, may be made of wire andi formed with loops a, a', which not only afford means of attachment toV flexible ligaments but also perform the function of stops-to limit the outward thrust of the shutters s, S, when thel plates and T, are withdrawn from the slot c, of the casing, although the shutters 8,'8, are designed to rest normally against the back plate T, as before intimated, and for this reason are preferably faced, with felt or vother material adapted to exclude ythe Y'passage of light from the vlamp E.

Asin my Vaforesaid patent', ligamentous connections extend from the links a, a, over suitable pulleys to levers or pedals conveniently positioned at or near the dash board of the machine, so that the shutters canbe conveniently manipulatedas de# sired for use during the exigenciesl of travel.

It is of course tobe understood that the op- 1 tional and individual retraction of the shutters s, a', maybe effected from the chauffeurs seatinfthe car bymeans of various well known mechanical expedients with like result, so thaty I do not limit myself to the identical means shown.Y

Thus far the above description applies to my device as embodied and shown both in the present application and Vin the patent vhereinbefore referred'to,,the main novelty inthe present case consisting in 'positioning 'thei'dange'r light d, above the license plate V`L,and i-n mounting pendent external auxiliary'. daylight direction pointers g, g', on

essentially bell-crank the shutters s, s', in such manner that said shutters and connections may be utilized to expose such. external day light signals as required.

Thus, in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, of the drawings the red danger light window (Z, is shown vas positioned directly above the luminant e, in a dormer housing 6*, formed for the purpose in the top of the casing C, and communicating with the interior thereof, so as to derive light directly therefrom. By thus disposing of the danger signal light d, I gain morel available space on the license plate L, in which to display the license number,a problem which is becoming diflicult without undue enlargement of the plate owing to the ever increasing number of machines licensed each year.

Tn suspending the external day light direction indicators Q, g', on the shutters s, s. I adapt the latter to perform a double function in that they not only serve and control the pointer openings or windows y), p', in the license plate as heretofore, but also afford convenient means for the control and display of the said auxiliary external direction indicators (j, g,-it being understood of course that if preferred said external day light signals q, q may be actuated and controlled by equivalent duplicate means in which the shutters are replaced by the arms of bell crank levers, of which the shutters in the arrangement shown practically constitute a part. That is to say, the shutters s, S', and the bracket arms attached thereto, anden which the auxiliary external pointers g, g', are suspended, are levers actuated by the links a, a, as hereinbefore set forth. Hence, while the mechanical combination of the external or day light pointers (j, f7', with the shutters s, s', is practicable and advantageous in obviating the necessity of duplication of operative parts, and in effecting a simultaneous exposure of both night and day direction indicators, which is desirable under certain conditions, still the suspension of the day light or external indicators on the shutters is not indispensable.

Thus equipped however, my improved auto-license signaling device is simple and compact in construction and operation; and the simultaneous display of both night and day direction indicators is advantageous as manipulated by the same means and as affording additional precautionary measures to guard, at all times, and under all conditions ofplight, against accident.

I have herein shown my external direction indicators g, g', as of arrow shape, a1- though I do not limit myself in this respect, since any other desired form of pointer may be substituted therefor with like result.

The brackets b', are shaped to extend and hold the external direction indicators g, g', in visible, substantially vertical, position below the casing C, when a shutter is retracted, as in Figs. 1, 3, 4;, 6 and 8, but to otherwise position said external direction indicators under the casing C, under normal conditions, as indicated particularly in Fig. 5, of the drawings.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is,

l. An auto-license indicating device of the character designated, comprising a casing, illuminating means therein, a red danger signal Window on the top of said casing positioned in a dormer housing open to the interior of said casing, a removable stenciled license plate formed with direction indicator openings and positioned in the front of the casing, a removable transparent back platealso positioned in front of the casing and formed With colored portions coincident with the direction indicator openings in the license plate, spring shutters in the casing arrangedto normally cover said direction indicating openingsin the license plate, and positive means for optionally and individually retracting said shutters.

2. Anauto-license indicating device of the character designated, comprising a casing, illuminating means therein, a removable stenciled license plate formed with direction indicator openings and positioned in the front of the casing, a removable transparent back plate also positioned in Jfront of the casing and formed with colored portions coincident Withthe direction indicator openings in the license plate, spring shutters in the casing arranged to normally cover said direction indicating openings in the license plate, external direction indicators mounted on said shutters, and positive means for optionally and individually retracting `said shutters, for the purpose described.

3. An auto-license indicating device of the character designated, comprising a casing,

illuminating means therein, a red danger signal Window on the top of said casing positioned in a dormer housing open to the interior of said casing, a removable stenciled license plate formed With direction indicator openings and positioned in the iront of the casing, a removable transparent back plate also positioned in Jfront of the casing and formed With colored portions coincident With the direction indicator openings in the license plate, spring shutters in the casing arranged to normally cover said direction indicating openin s in the license plate, external direction in icators mounted on said shutters, and positive means for optionally and individually retracting said shutters, for the purpose described.

` 4. An auto-license indicating device of the character designated, comprising a casing, illuminating means therein, a removable stenciled license plate formed with direction indicator openings and positioned in the front of the casing, a removable transparent back plate also positioned in iront of the casing and formed with colored portions coincident With the direction indicator openings in the license plate, spring shutters in the casing arranged to normally cover said direction indicating openings in the license plate, external direction indicators pivotally mounted on said casing, and positive means for optionally and individually controlling said shutters and said external direction indicators, for the purpose described. Y

5. An auto-license indicating device of the character designated, comprising a casing,

illuminating means therein, a removable stenciled license plate positioned in the iront of the casing, external direction indicators pivotally mounted on said casing, and positive means for optionally and individually actuating and controlling said external direction indicators, for the ourpose described.

HARR A. KLEINE. Witnesses:

Gino. WM. MiA'iT, DOROTHY MIATT. 

